Terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Terrestrial protected areas was 30.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of total land area.
Analysis
In 2025, terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka stood at 30.8%. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka peaked at 30.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 22.0%, in 2013.
Sri Lanka ranks 35th of 213 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of total land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22.0% | — |
| 2014 | 23.2% | +5.5% |
| 2015 | 29.9% | +28.9% |
| 2016 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 29.9% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 30.0% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 30.8% | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 27.8% | 22.0% | 29.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 30.1% | 29.9% | 30.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More climate change data for Sri Lanka
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 3,418 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 618.46 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,800 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.33 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 100 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 4,168 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 2,071 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 2,097 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 7.82 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 74.88 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka?
- Terrestrial protected areas in Sri Lanka was 30.8% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest terrestrial protected areas recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.0% in 2013.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for terrestrial protected areas?
- Sri Lanka ranks 35th out of 213 countries with data for 2025.
- Is terrestrial protected areas rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Terrestrial protected areas (% of total land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Terrestrial protected areas are totally or partially protected areas of at least 1,000 hectares that are designated by national authorities as scientific reserves with limited public access, national parks, natural monuments, nature reserves or wildlife sanctuaries, protected landscapes, and areas managed mainly for sustainable use. Marine areas, unclassified areas, littoral (intertidal) areas, and sites protected under local or provincial law are excluded.